diff --git a/src/main/worktree-trash.test.ts b/src/main/worktree-trash.test.ts
index 550fd667278..d5f9784f075 100644
--- a/src/main/worktree-trash.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/worktree-trash.test.ts
@@ -56,8 +56,11 @@ describe('moveWorktreeDirectoryToTrash', () => {
     }
   })
 
-  it('reports the rename as unavailable when the checkout is missing', async () => {
-    expect(await moveWorktreeDirectoryToTrash(join(scratchDir, 'repo', 'gone'))).toBeUndefined()
+  it('reports the rename as unavailable and leaves no trash root when the checkout is missing', async () => {
+    const worktreePath = join(scratchDir, 'repo', 'gone')
+
+    expect(await moveWorktreeDirectoryToTrash(worktreePath)).toBeUndefined()
+    expect(existsSync(getWorktreeTrashRoot(worktreePath))).toBe(false)
   })
 
   async function seededWorktree(name: string): Promise<string> {
diff --git a/src/main/worktree-trash.ts b/src/main/worktree-trash.ts
index 58d3e45c9c6..d1e7b50747f 100644
--- a/src/main/worktree-trash.ts
+++ b/src/main/worktree-trash.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 // is a metadata operation, and the recursive delete then runs after the IPC has already returned.
 
 import { randomBytes } from 'node:crypto'
-import { mkdir, readdir, rename } from 'node:fs/promises'
+import { mkdir, readdir, rename, rmdir } from 'node:fs/promises'
 import { dirname, join } from 'node:path'
 import { removeHostTree } from './host-tree-removal'
 import { isFolderRepo } from '../shared/repo-kind'
@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@ export async function moveWorktreeDirectoryToTrash(
       `[worktrees] Deferred deletion unavailable for ${worktreePath}; deleting in place`,
       error
     )
+    // Leave no empty trash root behind when the rename never happened; rmdir keeps queued entries.
+    await rmdir(trashRoot).catch(() => {})
     return undefined
   }
 }